Is solay water in distilled water a good solution
Executive summary
Sole — a saturated salt solution often made with pink Himalayan salt — mixed into distilled water is promoted as a cheap way to "re-mineralize" ultra-pure water and deliver a raft of health benefits, but the evidence is thin and the practice carries clear tradeoffs: distilled water is very pure because distillation strips minerals and many contaminants [1] [2], while proponents of sole emphasize added minerals without strong clinical proof [3] and mainstream medical sources warn the touted benefits are not supported and that added sodium can be harmful for some people [4].
1. What distilled water actually is — purity with consequences
Distilled water is produced by boiling and condensing water vapor, a process that removes most minerals, microbes, and many chemicals, producing a very pure liquid that’s useful for medical and industrial purposes and is generally safe to drink [1] [5]; however, that same process leaves it essentially demineralized, so it does not supply calcium, magnesium, fluoride and other ions normally present in tap or mineral water [2] [6].
2. The claim: sole fixes what distillation takes away
Advocates of sole say saturating distilled (or filtered) water with natural salts — often Himalayan pink salt — returns "essential minerals" and yields benefits ranging from better digestion to improved sleep and skin, and some lifestyle writers even cite exercise-recovery studies about saline solutions to support broader claims [3]; this framing positions sole as a simple, DIY mineral supplement for people who consume distilled water.
3. The evidence gap: enthusiasts vs. clinical guidance
Independent medical and nutrition authorities are skeptical: Cleveland Clinic interviewed a registered dietitian and found that many of sole’s headline claims don’t stand up to science and that the drink does not reliably provide clinically meaningful amounts of the dozens of nutrients often claimed by proponents [4]. The Wellness Mama piece that promotes sole is an enthusiastic practical guide and a hub for wellness products and routines [3], which reveals a potential commercial or lifestyle–bias incentive to amplify benefits not yet proven in trials.
4. Safety tradeoffs and specific risks
Adding sole to distilled water will increase sodium intake; for people with normal blood pressure and healthy kidneys occasional use is unlikely to be catastrophic, but for those with hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease or sodium-restricted diets it could be harmful — mainstream sources warn that extra sodium isn't benign and that isolated mineral claims should be viewed skeptically [4] [6]. Separately, distilled water itself can lack fluoride and other protective minerals found in public water supplies, which matters for dental and population health considerations [2] [7].
5. Practical reality: what sole actually supplies
A saturated salt solution primarily supplies sodium and whatever trace minerals exist in a given salt; the amounts of calcium, magnesium and other elements people hope to get from a tablespoon-in-water regimen are typically tiny and variable depending on the salt source, so sole is a poor, uncontrolled substitute for dietary mineral intake or scientifically formulated mineral supplements [3] [4]. Distillation also may fail to remove some volatile organic chemicals that boil near water’s temperature, so adding salt does nothing to mitigate residual chemical contaminants if present [7].
6. Bottom line and recommended stance
For most people there’s no strong medical reason to make a habit of re-mineralizing distilled water with sole: distilled water is safe to drink but lacks minerals [8] [6], sole delivers mostly sodium with unproven broad health benefits [3] [4], and mainstream clinical guidance favors obtaining minerals from a balanced diet or using clinically tested supplements when necessary [6]. If distilled water is being consumed because of contamination concerns, a better solution — when mineral intake is a worry — is either to choose a purified or mineral water with known content or to address dietary mineral needs directly; anyone with cardiovascular, kidney, or blood-pressure issues should consult a clinician before adding homemade saline drinks to daily intake [5] [4].